Transfer apparatus



Nov. 17, 1964 E. SALMONA 3,

TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed Dec. 7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 17, 1964 E. SALMONA 3,157,439

TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed Dec. 7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2b

3,157,439 TRANSFER APPARATUS Enrique almona, 1 Vespri Siciliani, Milan, Italy Filed Dec. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 157,671 fillnims priority, application Italy Dec. 10, 1960 a 15 illaims. (Ci. 3%2-27) The present invention relates to apparatus for transferring products arriving with definite sequential intervals at a plurality of receiving stations. More specifically the present invention relates to apparatus for collecting, checking and classifying the products of a plurality of circular knitting machines.

By way of example the following specification refers to the use of the apparatus for collecting, checking and classifying hosiery produced on a plurality of circular knitting machines, while it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular use.

It is known that stockings and hosiery produced on circular knitting machines still are manually collected, checked and classified by an operator. Thus, a considerable amount of manual work is to be done in shops having a great number of knitting machines, which requires the employment of numerous operators.

It has already been proposed to automatically collect the production of a plurality of circular knitting machines, but in this case the stockings only have been conveyed to a common receptacle. It is obvious that this represents no essential improvement and that this mechanism does not permit an immediate check of the production. Although the stockings necessarily bear a mark of origin, i.e. the mark of the knitting machine on which they have been produced which, by the way, is not desired, there is no immediate connection between the production and the checking so that the faulty operation of a machine may only be detected after a considerable interval of time. Moreover, it will still be necessary to classify the stockings according to their size.

It is an object ofthe invention to provide apparatus in which the products obtained at a plurality of receiving stations are individually transferred for permitting immediate checking and classifying or any further treatment of the products.

In the device according to the invention, the receiving stations are connected with a conveying conduit of a pneumatic conveyor by means of connections which are opened in a cyclic sequence by programming means, the duration of the cycle being shorter than the shortest sequential interval occurring at any receiving station.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example a preferred embodiment of apparatus for collecting, checking and classifying the products of a group of sixty circular knitting machines.

FIGURE 1a represents four knitting machines of the group of sixty machines, which are connected with a conveyor conduit;

FIGURE 1!; is a perspective view of a checking device inserted into the conveyor arrangement;

FIGURE is a perspective view of a classifying device connected with the conveyor arrangement;

FIGURE 2a is a diagrammatic illustration of the electric control mechanism of the conveyor and of the checking device; and

FIGURE 2b is a diagram of a further part of the electric control mechanism for the classifying device.

The group of knitting machines generally designated by the reference numeral 1 in FIGURE 1a is provided in known manner with a pneumatic discharger 2 which delivers the finished stockings or hose into a collecting funnel 3. Each funnel 3 is connected by means of a junc- United States Patent 0 3,157,439 Patented Nov. 17, 1964 ice tion tube 4, controlled by a solenoid valve 5, to branch pieces 6 of .a pneumatic conveyor conduit 7. The valves 5 are opened in a cyclic sequence by programming means (not shown), the duration of a cycle, including the time required foropening the valves being shorter than the shortest sequential interval of delivery at any circular knitting machine, namely the time required by the fastest operating machine for delivering successive stockings into the collecting funnel. Difiereuces between the sequential intervals of the machines, i.e. the intervals between the delivering of successive stockings at the receiving stations represented by the tunnels 3 are created not only by the different reduction capacity of the machines but also by the different production time required for different stocking sizes. By making the duration of the cycle shorter than the shortest sequential interval of delivery there is ensured the removal of a stocking already placed into a receiving funnel 3, before the next following stockings made by the particular machine arrives at the same receiving funnel.

Following the point of connection of the last tube 4 of the last knitting machine of the group with the conveyor conduit 7, the latter conduit is provided with an electrically controlled outlet valve 8 immediately followed by an electrically controlled throttle valve 9. The outlet valve 8 can open the conduit 7 to the atmosphere, whereas the throttle valve 9 can considerably reduce the air flow through the conduit 7. Both valves are actuated by a photoelectric switch it (see FIGURE 1b) arranged on the conduit 7 beyond the throttle valve 9 and sensing .by means of its light beam the interior of the transparent conveyor conduit. The operative connection of the photo-electric switch 10 with the valves 8 and 9 is indicated by the dash-and-dot line 11. Beyond the switch It the conduit 7 is enlarged in the form of a channelshaped portion 12 of transparent material having an open bottom which is closed by a movable flap 13 hingedly mounted along its rear longitudinal edge. A further photo-electric switch 14- senses by means of its light beam the end portion of the channel 12. As shown by the dash-and-dot line 15, the switch 14 controls a shut-0E valve 16 mounted in the conveyor conduit downstream of the channel-portion 12 and connecting the conduit 7 to a suction fan 17. Blowing nozzles 18a disposed at the ends of tubes 18 are accommodated within the channel portion 12 of the conveyor conduit 7 and are directed towards the flap 13. The tubes 18 are supplied with compressed air from a blower 20 through a pipe 19. The inlet of the blower 20 is controlled by a valve 21 which is actuated by the photo-electric switch 14 as shown by dash-and-dot line 22. The flap 13 is actuated by an electric motor 23 which is controlled by the photo-electric switch 14, as shown by the dash-and-dot line 24. The arrangement is such that the motor after starting executes one revolution and thereupon automatically stops, thus opening and closing the flap 13.

A support 26 is arranged beneath the flap 13 for receiving a stocking 25 which arrives through the conveyor conduit. A tapered pipe 27 arranged adjacent the support 26 forms a part of a second section 7 of the conveyor conduit which is interrupted by the flap 13. For the purpose of checking each stocking as it arrives on the support 26 it will be drawn by hand over the tapered pipe 27. The pipe 27 is rotatably mounted on the conduit '7 and is provided with a graduation 28 corresponding to different stocking sizes. A further throttle valve 9 is disposed on the second section 7' of the conveyor conduit and is actuated by a photo-electric switch 1%. Downstream of this switch 16 a further downwardly open channel portion 12 of the conveyor conduit has its bottom part closed by a movable flap 13 hingedly mounted along its rear longitudinal edge. An electric motor 23 actuating the flap 13' is controlled .by. a further photoelectric switch 14' which, similar to the switch 14, senses the end portion of the channel 12. Adjacent the channel 12' a shut-off valve 16' is provided which connects the second section 7 of the conveyor conduit with a blower fan 17'. The channel portion 12' contains blower nozzles 18%: which are supplied with air from a blower fan 21)" through branch tubes 18' and a manifold pipe 19'. The inlet of the blower fan is controlled by a solenoid valve 21 which in turn is actuated by the photoelectric switch 14, The operative connection of. the different elements according to FIGURE 10, which is similar to the connection shown in FIGURE '11), is indicated by dash-and-dot lines which bear the same reference numerals as in FIGURE lb.

An overhanging shelf 29 extends beneath the flap 13' and is tiltably carried by a pivot pin 3t?v fixed to a slide31. The slide 31 is movable on a rail 32 and is driven by a chain 33. Stops 34 are longitudinally spaced along the rail 32'and are adapted. to be moved by means of magnet-coils 35 into the path of movement of the shelf 29. A dog 36 of the shelf 29 cooperates in such manner with the stops 34 that the shelf tilts about the pivot 30 when the dog. 36 hits a stop 34. Thereupon the stocking 25 carried by the shelf 29 falls into one of a series of receptacles 37 which is associated with the respective stop, as is seen in the drawings. The arrangement is such that the motor, not shown, driving the chain 33 automatically starts when the flap 13 is opened, the shut-off valve 16 simultaneously stopping the operation of the second portion 7' of the conveyor conduit. Upon tilting of the shelf 29 the motor of the chain 33 is reversed, the shelf moves back to its initial position and the chain is automatically stopped when the shelf attains its'normal position beneath the flap 13'. Simultaneously the shut-off valve 16 is again opened.

A panel 38 is arranged near the tapered pipe 27, i.e.

visible. to the operator in the control stand; this panel comprises for each of the sixty knitting machines of the group a signal lamp 339 and an electric counter 40. The

signal lamps are connected to a push button switch which permits the operator on the control stand to stop any knitting machine. With the same push button switch an alarm device can be simultaneously actuated. A further series of electric counters 41 are arranged near the control stand on the support 26, which counters are actuated together with one of the stops 34. The support 26 also carries push buttons 42 including signal lamps. which, too, are associated each with a stop 34 and are lighted when the corresponding stop 34 is engaged by the dog 36. By actuating the push button switch associated with a button 42 the corresponding stop 34 is brought into operative position. Simultaneously, an already switched-on stop becomes inoperative. The purpose of this arrangement and the corresponding circuit will be described later on.

The device is controlled by programming means 43 which is shown in part in FIGURES 2a and 2b. This programming'means comprises a shaft 44 carrying in a known manner a plurality of cam discs each cooperating with a switch. The shaft 44 is driven by an electric motor 45 through the intermediary of a reduction gear 46 and a belt drive 47. By changing the transmission ratio, e.g. by interchanging the pulleys, the speed of revolution. of the shaft 44 may be adapted to actual conditions, so that the cycle of the programming means is shorter than the shortest sequential interval of delivery of successive stockings at the receiving stations. FIG- URE 2a shows a cam disc 48 of the programming means cooperating with a switch 49 which in turn actuates the valve connecting the first circular knitting machine with the conveyor conduit 7. A further cam disc 50 of the programming means actuates via a further switch 51 the valve 5 of the second circular knitting machine. Each further connecting valve 5 is associated with a cam disc a size arrive into the same receptacle 37. A cam disc 63' are offset with respect to each other in circumferential direction so that during one revolution of the programming means all valves 5 open once. In the present case where sixty circular knitting machines are involved, the angular displacement of one cam lobe with respect to the next following one actually is much smaller than shown and the exaggeration of the angular distance as shown in FIGURES 2a and 212 has been adopted for claritys sake only. A further cam disc 52 cooperates with a switch 53 to which the signal lamps 39 and the counter 40 of the first circular knitting machine are connected, whereas a cam disc 54 controls through a switch 55 the signal lamp 39 and the counter 40 of the second circular knitting machine. As clearly shown in the circuit according to FIGURE 2a the signal lamps 39 are directly switched on or off by the switches 53 and 55, respectively, whereas the counters 40'are only preselected, since the counting circuit only is closed by means of a relay 56, the contact of which is connected to the second terminal of all counters 40. The relay 55 is energized by the photo-electric switch 14, if the light beam of the switch 14 is'interrupted by a stocking. Upon the cyclic opening of the valves 5, i.e. on the cyclic sensing of the receiving stations, the associated signal lamp 39 shortly lights up, While the respective counter only is actuated if a stocking actually is delivered to the receiving station and transferred to the check station. In consideration of the time required for conveying of the stocking from the receiving station to the check station, the lobe of the cam disc actuating a counter is angularly displaced with respect to the lobe of the cam disc actuating the valve 5 of the same machine by an amount corresponding to one cycle step. (See, e.g. cam discs 52 and 48.) Thus, it is ensured that each counter 40 only counts the stockings actuate the stops 34 for classifying the stockings accord-.

ing to their size. When, for example, six different stocking sizes are to be produced, six stops 34 and six cams controlling classifying are provided. Accordingly, FIG- URE 1b shows six counters 41. Moreover, it is assumed that the first two knitting machines produce one stocking size, the following two knitting machines a second size, and the fifth and sixth knitting machines a third size. Therefore, it is necessary that the production of the knitting machines producing the same stocking of the programming means (FIGURE 2b) comprises two lobes having a circumferential distance corresponding. to one cycle step. These lobes control by switch 64 the magnet coil 35 of the stop 34 (FIGURE 2b) associated with the first stocking size, the first lobe cooperating with the first knitting machine and the second,

lobe with the second knitting machine. In order to make sure that the stops are actuated at the right moment, namely when a stocking produced on the machine in question and checked at the control stand arrives on the shelf 29, the first lobe of the cam disc 63 is angularly offset by two cycle steps with respect to the lobe of the cam disc 48 controlling the delivery valve 5 of the first knitting machine. The same is true for the second lobe of the cam disc 63 which is again angularly offset by two cycle steps with respect to the lobe of the camdisc 48 controlling the valve 5 of thesecond knitting machine. This arrangementis shown in FIGURES 2a and 2b. The other cam discs 57 and 58 of the programmator are also provided with two lobes, the pair of lobes of the cam discs 57 and 58, respectively, being oifset by one and by two cycle steps, respectively, with respect to the pair of lobes of the cam disc 63. Thus, the required timemeans of a v delay between the actuation of the valve and the actuation of the associated stop is obtained. In the operating position of the programming means ass hown in FIG- URES 2a and 2b, the stop 34 is actuated, after the valve 5 of the first knitting machine has been actuated by the cam disc 48 two cycle steps earlier, while the signal lamp 39 and the counter 4% of the same machine have been actuated one cycle step earlier by the cam disc 52. Thus, the necessary conditions are provided that the stocking delivered two cycle steps earlier from the receiving station of the first knitting machine is conveyed to the correct receptacle 37.

In a manner similar to the operation of the counters 40, the stops 34 only are preselectedin the present case for ensuring or" the correct classifying of stockings -by the cam discs 63, 57, 53, etc. and the associated switches 64, 59, 69, etc., whereas the actuation of the stops is effected by means of a relay 61, the switching contacts of which are connected with the second terminals of all magnet coils 35. The relay 61 is actuated by the photo-electric switch 14' and consequently by that stocking which arrives through the channel portion 12 of the second section 7 of the conveyor conduit '7. Simultaneously with the actuation of the stops 34, electric counters 41 are actuated which are each connected in parallel with a magnet coil 35. While the counters 40 count the production of the ditlerentknitting machines, the counters 41 each only count stockings having the same size.

The knitting machines are adjusted, as already mentioned, to produce each a definite stocking size. However, it is possible that a knitting machine, for example after a change of bobbins, knits more loosely or more tightly than normal, so that longer or shorter stockings are knitted temporarily. With respect to such temporary deviations which are detected-at the check stand, it is necessary to overrule the preselection of a stop according to the program and to select another stop corresponding to the actual stocking size. This is done by means of the switches associated with the push buttons and signal lamps 42 (see FIGURE 1b) controlling a circuit as described below. For claritys sake the push buttons 42 are represented in FIGURE 2b as signal lamps 42 and push buttons 42". The signal lamps 42 are lighted when the associated magnet coil 35 is preselected, in order to indicate at the control station which size the stocking should have according to the program. The push buttons 42 or rather the switches actuated by these buttons control a relay 62, the contacts of which are connected in the circuit comprising the preselection switches at, 59, 69, etc. the arrangement being such that this circuit is interrupted by the energization of the relay 62, i.e. when any one of the push buttons 42" is actuated, whereby the programmed preselection of a magnet coil 35, i.e. of a stop 34 is neutralized. Moreover, it can be seen from the drawings that when any one of the push buttons is pressed down, the circuit of the associated magnet coil is closed, whereby the preselection according to the program is overruled and a stop 34 corresponding to the actual stocking size as established by the checking is made eiiective.

In operation, the stockings are separately delivered by a cyclic opening of the valves 5 and are conveyed through the conveyor conduit to the enlarged channel section 12. When passing the photo-electric switch 10 the stocking interrupts the light beam of this switch, thus actuating the throttle valve 9 and the outlet valve 8. By throttling the conveying air flow the travelling speed of the stocking is considerably reduced. The dynamic pressure head building up on the back side of the throttle 9 is compensated by the outlet valve 8. The stocking which arrives in the section 12 of the transfer conduit at a relatively low speed interrupts the light beam of the photoelectric switch 14, thus stopping the air flow by closing the valve 16, opening the flap 13 and flowing air through the nozzles 18a at the end of the tubes 18 by opening the valve 21. Simultaneously the counters 40 are actuated. After the stocking has been placed on the support 25, the flap 13 is again closed and the above mentioned valves are reversed so that another stocking may be conveyed. After the checking of the stocking 25 drawn over the tapered pipe 27, the stocking is sucked through the front opening of the tapered pipe 27 and passes into the second section 7' of the conveyor conduit and into its enlarged channel section 12'. The braking, stopping and discharging of the stocking is effected in the same manner as described above. Upon opening of the flap 13', the stocking falls on the shelf 29, which is automatically moved upon closing of the flap 13. During the movement of the shelf the valve 16' is kept closed, so that a further stocking from the check station will be sucked into the pipe 27 only when the shelf 29 is ready for receiving this stocking. When the dog 36 of the shelf 29 hits the stop 34 selected either according to the program or arbitrarily, the shelf 2) is tilted and the stocking is discharged into that receptacle which corresponds to its size. At this moment, the drive of the slide 31 is reversed causing the shelf to return to its normal position. Thus, the productionof an indeterminate number of knitting machines may automatically be delivered, classified and counted according to the origin of the particular product and its destination, while it is possible to correct a preselected destination at the check station. At this point a further counter may be provided which is actuated, for instance, by the movement of the flap 13 and counts the entire production of all machines.

A particular advantage of the described apparatus resides in the fact that it operates independently of the knitting or other machines. Since the delivery stations of the machines are each separately connected with the conveyor conduit, a relatively small suction capacity is suflicient which is independent of the number of the delivery stations. Therefore, the number of the delivery stations is not limited by the suction requirements. The automatic classifying of the stockings or of other products is also advantageous in that it is not necessary to provide them with distinct marks of origin and of destination.

It will be appreciated that the invention is by no means limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described in detail in connection with the circular knitting machines. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the device may be used with other products which may be pneumatically conveyed, and the invention should rather be deemed to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for individually transferring products arriving at a plurality of receiving stations at definite sequential intervals of time, comprising pneumatic conveyor means including a conveyor conduit for transferring said products, connecting tubes individually connecting each receiving station to said conduit, a normally closed delivery valve in each of said connecting tubes, and programming means controlling the opening of all said delivery valves in a cyclic sequence to deliver products to said conveyor conduit one by one, the duration of each cycle being shorter than the shortest of said sequential intervals of time at any of the receiving stations to thereby deliver said products to said conveyor conduit one by one whereby discharge of said products from the conveyor conduit is in timewise sequence related to the sequence of opening of the delivery valves.

2. Apparatus as clain ed in claim 1, comprising at least one motor driven flap in the conveyor conduit, flap opener switch means in the path of the products, the motor being actuated in response to passage of the products past the flap opener switch means, and means for stopping the movement of the products arriving at the flap.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising fan means for producing by suction a conveying stream of actuated by the flap opener switch means.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the throttle .valve is arranged upstream and the shut-off valve'downstream of the flap.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, comprising an outlet valve in the conveyor conduit ahead of the throttle valve and operable together with the throttle valve.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising blower nozzles for blowing air towards the flap in the conveyor conduit above the flap and a valve actuated by the flap opener switch means controlling the blower nozzles.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising a tiltable, motor driven slidable shelf beneath the flap in said conduit, a plurality of discharging stations for said shelf being provided and determined by stops which are movable into the path of movement of the shelf to' cause tilting of the shelf upon engaging any of the stops, the advance and the return movement of the shelf being controlled by the movement of said flap and of said stops, respectively. b i

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim '7, in which the movable stops are preselected by the programming means and are actuated by the flap opener switch means. 7

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, comprising a discharge counter associated with respective discharging stations and preselected and actuated simultaneously with the movable stops.

10. Apparatus as claimed inclaim 8, in which a plurality of product receiving stations are associated with each discharge station, the programming means being operative to preselect a stop with a time lag after the opening of a delivery connection of the respective receiving station with said conveyor conduit.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the conveyor conduit is divided in two'sections and comprising a discharge flap at the end of each conduit section, a

support and a checking member beneath the first flap,

said shelf being arranged beneath the second flap.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, comprising'a signal lamp and a product receiving counter associated with each product receiving station, the programming means, after opening of the, delivery tube, energizing the respective signal lamp and preselecting the respective counter with a time lag which is smaller than the time lag of the stop preselection, the preselected counter being actuated by the flap opener switch means of the first flap.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, in which the time lag for energizing the signal lamps and for the preselecting of the delivery counters is equal to the duration of a sequential stepof the programming means, and the time lag for preselection of the stops is equal to the duration of two sequential steps.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which each of said stops/has associated therewith a'simultaneously lighted signal lamp and a manually operated preselection switch, means being provided for opening the preselection circuit of the programming means for the stops upon actuation of a manually operated preselection switch.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, comprising switching means for individually interrupting the transfer of products to. the receiving stations.

Hughes Apr. 12, 1955 Kelley Aug. 1, 1961 

1. APPARATUS FOR INDIVIDUALLY TRANSFERRING PRODUCTS ARRIVING AT A PLURALITY OF RECEIVING STATIONS AT DEFINITE SEQUENTIAL INTERVALS OF TIME, COMPRISING PNEUMATIC CONVEYOR MEANS INCLUDING A CONVEYOR CONDUIT FOR TRANSFERRING SAID PRODUCTS, CONNECTING TUBES INDIVIDUALLY CONNECTING EACH RECEIVING STATION TO SAID CONDUIT, A NORMALLY CLOSED DELIVERY VALVE IN EACH OF SAID CONNECTING TUBES, AND PROGRAMMING MEANS CONTROLLING THE OPENING OF ALL SAID DELIVERY VALVES IN A CYCLIC SEQUENCE TO DELIVER PRODUCTS TO SAID CONVEYOR CONDUIT ONE BY ONE, THE DURATION OF EACH CYCLE BEING SHORTER THAN THE SHORTEST OF SAID SEQUENTIAL INTERVALS OF TIME AT ANY OF THE RECEIVING STATIONS TO THERE- 